Blessings to you, friends!
This begins week 3 of our 6-week faith and fitness challenge. We’ve got almost 400 of you on board and what a journey it’s been!
Each week during the 6-week challenge, I’ll give away 2 copies of my book, Balance That Works When Life Doesn't to someone who posts on this blog. At the end of the 6 weeks we'll draw 2 names to win gift baskets full of fitness goodness. And it's FREE! Sign up here: Commit to Live Fit
Congratulations to last week’s winners, Mary Bryson and Wanda Draus – you each win a copy of Balance That Works When Life Doesn’t! (*Email me at Susie@MyFaithRadio.com with your mailing address and we’ll get the book out to you this week).
So, we’ve implemented the following disciplines in the past 2 weeks:
Physical Disciplines:
- · Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day (or better yet, half of your body weight in ounces)
- · Stretch in the morning and evening
Spiritual Disciplines:
- · Read the Word of God every day
- · Stretch your faith every day
If you’re just joining us and would like more information, check out the posts from the past two weeks.
Here are your two disciplines for this week:
Physical Discipline:
Get 7-9 Hours of Sleep: I truly believe that rest is the most underrated discipline of our day. We dip into our sleep time so we can get more done in a day, not realizing we’re ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul.’ If we go too long without regular and consistent rest, it deeply impacts our health, perspective, and ability to live strong. When we de-prioritize rest, we make more mistakes, we use costly shortcuts, and we make ourselves more vulnerable to the enemy’s schemes. It’s critical that we prioritize rest and so here’s what I’m asking you to do this week:
Make time and space in your evening for 7-9 hours of sleep. So let’s say you have to wake up every morning at 6am. For you to give yourself a 7-9 hour window, that means you need to start your night routine at 9pm so you can be in bed by 10pm. This is the time to turn off your computer and TV, and stop your housework. Hey, it’s a perfect time to stretch! And pray! And read! Use that one-hour window to prepare your heart and mind for sleep. I’m telling you, this will be a very life-giving discipline.
Benefits of Sleep:
- · Body heals
- · Stronger Immune System
- · Renewed Perspective
- · Higher ability to learn
- · Less chance of mistakes
- · Health Maintenance
Spiritual Discipline:
Cultivate a ‘Restful’ Heart: Psalm 91:1 says this: He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High God will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. What does it mean to ‘dwell in the secret place’? It’s to walk in His presence as you live here on earth (see Psalm 116:9). It’s to make time and space to meet with God, to listen for His voice, and to do what He says. It’s to live with the sense that you’re tucked under His protective wing, and to identify yourself as His with every step you take on planet earth. Now read that passage again: He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High God will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. When you dwell with Him, you can more easily rest in Him. He has you and is intimately acquainted with every detail of your life.
Here’s another important verse: Cease striving and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). We get into striving and we work on overdrive when we forget that more is up to God than up to us. The word, ‘know’ in this verse speaks of a single-minded intimacy (not allowing anything to get between you and God). Can you see why the enemy works overtime to distract your from the goodness and the greatness of our God? You’re most powerful in your walk of faith and most restful amidst stressful circumstances when you know in your soul, that He your God.
Learn to rest in Him. He loves you deeply.
And, I challenge you to make your nighttime routine a priority; get the sleep your body needs. That discipline will pay you back in great dividends!
I’ll be praying for you as you add these healthy yet simple disciplines to your life. And remember, each week I’ll give away 2 copies of my book, Balance That Works When Life Doesn’t: Simple Steps to a Woman’s Physical & Spiritual Health’ to someone who posts on this blog.
Let’s do this!
May you flourish in health, both physically and spiritually!
Blessings to you this week~